oO AS GooD AS IT GETSc 7-24-46 = ON APARTMENT DOORWAY. As it opens and an enormously sweet-faced, elder woman steps ed up against the cold--turning back to call’ inside seer. love of her long life. SWEET FACED WOMAN ‘m just going to get some flowers, dear. ='ll be back in 20 minutes. It's tulip Season today. I'm so happy. And now she turns and faces the hallway...her sweetness Gissoives in a flash...replaced by repulsion and that quickly she has reversed herself and reentered her apartment... closing the door as we consider her vacated POINT OF VT: NOL. ...in the hallway...Well past 50 ... iked,unioved,unsettling. A huge pain in the ass to everyone he's ever met. Right now all his considerable talent and strength is totally focused on seducing a tiny dog into the elevator door he holds open. MELVIN Come here, sweetheart...come on. ON DOG Sniffing at a particular spot on the hall carpeting. Melvin lets the elevator door close and advances on the mutt who has ignored him. MELVIN Wanna go for a ride? Okay, sweetie? The dog lifts his leg at the precise moment Melvin lunges and picks him up with a decisive heft--so that dog urine squirts the hall wall for a second or two. The dog sensing a kindred spirit starts to growl and bark. MELVIN (a malevolent tone) You've pissed your last floor, you dog- . eared monkey. Thé dog takes a snap at Melvin, but the man is much meaner and quicker than the dog--he holds his snout shut with his hand and reaches for the door of the garbage chute. (CONTINUED)MELVIN bet you wish you were some sort of real dog now, huh? Don't worry...this is New York. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, you know? You ugly. smelly fuck. And with that, he stuffs him in the garbage chute and lets We HEAR A FADING SERIES OF PLEADING “AWOOOOS" from the ¢ fade to nothingness...as another apartment door opens ‘NG THE LOUD SOUNDS OF A PARTY and SIMON NYE, early 30s, on has been born and raised with Gothic horror and it's strange that what that stew of trauma has produced is a gifted, decent man. INT. SIMON'S APT. - NIGHT. Major art on the wall.People gathered in front of his work as he flies by...they ad lib fullsome compliments in his wake = he is looking over and under everything for his dog..Frantic..he bolts into the hall...Melvin is just about to enter his apartment. SIMON co Verdell!?! Here good doggie... He notices Melvin at the far end of the hall. SIMON Mr. Udall...excuse me. HEY THERE! (Melvin turns) Have you seen Verdell? MELVIN : What's he look like? Melvin starts to walk backs to his apartment door which is directly opposite Simon's. 2 SIMON My dog...you know...I mean my little dog with the adorable face...Don't you know. what my dog looks like? MELVIN I got it. You're talking about your dog. I thought that was the name of the colored man I've been seeing in the hall. (e Simon looks off screen--and sees his black friend. ‘SIMON Which color was that? (CONTINUED)